US5740580A - Stepper vacuum chuck wiper - Google Patents
Stepper vacuum chuck wiper Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US5740580A US5740580A US08/757,679 US75767996A US5740580A US 5740580 A US5740580 A US 5740580A US 75767996 A US75767996 A US 75767996A US 5740580 A US5740580 A US 5740580A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- vacuum chuck
- stepper
- light source
- rod frame
- wiping stick
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/70691—Handling of masks or workpieces
- G03F7/707—Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
- B08B1/10—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools characterised by the type of cleaning tool
- B08B1/14—Wipes; Absorbent members, e.g. swabs or sponges
- B08B1/145—Swabs
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/708—Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials
- G03F7/70858—Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature
- G03F7/70866—Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature of mask or workpiece
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
- H10P72/70—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping
- H10P72/72—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using electrostatic chucks
- H10P72/722—Details of electrostatic chucks
Definitions
- This invention relates in general to a stepper vacuum chuck wiper, and more particularly to a wiping tool applied to a stepper vacuum chuck.
- Photolithography is one of the most important steps in the process of semiconductor fabrication. All that relates to the structure of the metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device, such as patterns of films and areas of dopants, are determined by the photolithography step.
- MOS metal oxide semiconductor
- step and repeat projection printing is used repeatedly to perform the exposure step of photolithography.
- the projection printer used for performing this step and repeat projection printing is termed “stepper”. This "stepper" uses a vacuum chuck to fix wafers.
- FIG. 1 is a front view of a round vacuum chuck
- FIG. 2 is a magnified partial cross-sectional illustration of a section 11 of FIG. 1.
- numeral 21 indicates the high vacuum passageway high vacuum of the vacuum chuck 12. Since the vacuum chuck 12 is used often, it is frequently polluted by dirt and particles (shown by numeral 22 in FIG. 2) that effects the fixture of wafers. This reduces the quality of photolithography. Additionally, since the quality of photolithography is reduced whenever the operational environment is polluted by dirt and particles 22, it is necessary to clean the vacuum chuck 12 frequently.
- the vacuum chuck 12 is cleaned using a lintless cloth moistened with alcohol or ethyl ether to wipe the surface of the vacuum chuck 12, but the dirt and particles in the recesses and grooves of the vacuum chuck 12 are more difficult to remove and thus can not be cleaned as efficiently.
- the present invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing a stepper vacuum chuck wiper for cleaning a stepper vacuum chuck, which includes a rod frame, a bearing device, a flare type soft shield, a wiping stick and an illuminating device.
- the rod frame has a through hole at one end and the bearing device is sleeved inside the hole.
- the flare type soft shield with a flare opening on its lower end is sleeved inside the bearing device, and the diameter of the flare opening is larger than the outside diameter of the bearing device.
- the wiping stick is sleeved inside the flare type soft shield.
- the illuminating device is provided for illuminating the stepper vacuum chuck includes a light source, a battery set, and a switch.
- the battery set is coupled to the other end of the rod frame to provide electricity to the light source
- the switch is coupled between the battery set and the light source to control the illumination of the light source, wherein the light source and the switch are disposed on the rod
- the stepper vacuum chuck wiper uses a wiping stick moistened with alcohol or ethyl ether which can dip into the recesses and grooves of the vacuum chuck in order to remove dirt and particles therein. Since the wiping stick spins because of the bearing, it keeps the wiped area from being polluted again by dirt and particles attached on the wiping stick. Moreover, the illuminating device on the rod frame can illuminate the vacuum chuck, making the cleaning process easier and more effective.
- FIG. 1 is a front view of a vacuum chuck
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional diagram of a vacuum chuck
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the parts of a preferred embodiment of a vacuum chuck wiper according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a top view of a rod frame of the preferred embodiment in FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum chuck wiper in use.
- FIG. 6 is a top view of the vacuum chuck wiper in use.
- FIG. 3 A preferred embodiment of the present invention of stepper vacuum chuck wiper is shown in FIG. 3, and consists of a rod frame 31 having a through hole 32 at its first end, a bearing device which is composed of two bearings 33a and 33b in this embodiment, a flare type soft shield 34, a wiping stick 35, and an illuminating device.
- the illuminating device includes a light source 36, a switch 37, and a battery set 38.
- the rod frame 31 is made of metal. However, it can also be made of a suitable plastic material.
- Bearings 33a and 33b are ball bearings which are sleeved at the upper and lower ends of the inside of the through hole 32, at the first end of the rod frame 31, by drilling a plurality of screw holes 39 around the through hole 32 and fixing bearings 33a and 33b with screws.
- the flare type soft shield 34 made of rubber with a flare opening on its lower end is sleeved inside the bearings 33a and 33b. The diameter of the flare opening is larger than the outside diameter of the bearings 33a and 33b.
- the wiping stick 35 is a swab, which is sleeved inside the flare type soft shield 34.
- the light source 36 is a light-emitting diode with high illumination.
- the battery set 38 is coupled to the second end of the rod frame 31 to provide electricity to the light source 36.
- the cylindrical shell of the battery set is easy to grip.
- the switch 37 is coupled between the light 36 and the battery set 38 by wire to control the illumination of the light 36.
- the light 36 and the battery set 38 are both disposed on the rod frame 31.
- a wire guiding groove 40 and a switch disposing groove 41 are formed on the rod frame 31 so that the light 36, switch 37 and wires coupled between the light source 36, the switch 37 and the battery set 38 are located and fixed therein.
- the light source 36 is disposed in the wire guiding groove 40 with an appropriate angle A, e.g. 45°, so that it illuminates the vacuum chuck clearly.
- FIG. 5 it is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum chuck wiper in use. Since the present invention uses a wiping stick 35 to clean the vacuum chuck 12, it can dip into the recesses and grooves of the vacuum chuck 12 to remove dirt and particles 22 for improving the cleaning effect. In the present embodiment, due to the design of the bearing device, while cleaning dirt and particles 22, the wiping stick 35 will spin along its path with a continually clean surface contacting the wiped area thus keeping the wiped area from being polluted again by the dirt and particles from the wiping stick 35. Referring to FIG. 6, it is a top view of the vacuum chuck wiper in use. In the Figure, numeral 35(1) represents the first position of the wiping stick 35 of the stepper vacuum chuck wiper.
- Numeral 35(2) represents the second position of the wiping stick 35 of the stepper vacuum chuck wiper.
- portions B and C of the wiping stick 35 are used to contact the surfaces to be cleaned.
- Portions D and E of the wiping stick 35 are used to contact the surfaces that have already been cleaned.
- the wiping stick 35 moves from the first position to the second position along path 61, it spins simultaneously in the direction of the arrow 62 because it is mounted on the bearing device. Therefore, at the second position, portions B and C of the wiping stick 35 still contact the surfaces to be cleaned. Portions D and E of the wiping stick 35 contact the surfaces that had been cleaned. Dirt and particles 22 attached on portions B and C will not contact or contaminate the surfaces that have been cleaned.
- This flare type soft shield has three merits: (1) The wiping stick is tightly sleeved in the bearings to prevent the failing of dirt and particles in wiping. This further prevents particles from dropping and contaminating the surface of the vacuum chuck when the bearing rotates. (2) The sleeved portion prevents detergent on the wiping stick from seeping into the bearings reducing the lubrication effect that results in decreased bearing life. (3) Furthermore, the illuminating device is another characteristic of the present invention, which provides illumination at the vacuum chuck for user to find the polluted area and remove dirt effectively.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Atmospheric Sciences (AREA)
- Toxicology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Epidemiology (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
- Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
- Exposure Of Semiconductors, Excluding Electron Or Ion Beam Exposure (AREA)
- Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (8)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| TW85112455 | 1996-10-11 | ||
| TW085112455A TW313535B (en) | 1996-10-11 | 1996-10-11 | Eraser of vacuum chuck of a stepper |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US5740580A true US5740580A (en) | 1998-04-21 |
Family
ID=21625488
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US08/757,679 Expired - Fee Related US5740580A (en) | 1996-10-11 | 1996-11-29 | Stepper vacuum chuck wiper |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US5740580A (en) |
| JP (1) | JP2949692B2 (en) |
| TW (1) | TW313535B (en) |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20140177258A1 (en) * | 2011-07-26 | 2014-06-26 | Golight, Inc. | Multi-face rotatable housing and mounting platform |
| US9539952B2 (en) | 2011-09-08 | 2017-01-10 | Golight, Inc. | Rotatable optical device housing and mounting platform |
| WO2017030841A1 (en) * | 2015-08-14 | 2017-02-23 | M Cubed Technologies, Inc. | Method for removing contamination from a chuck surface |
| US10702968B2 (en) | 2015-08-14 | 2020-07-07 | M Cubed Technologies, Inc. | Machine for finishing a work piece, and having a highly controllable treatment tool |
| WO2021063722A1 (en) * | 2019-10-01 | 2021-04-08 | Asml Netherlands B.V. | A cleaning device, a lithography apparatus, a method of removing water or other contaminant and a device manufacturing method |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE202015008445U1 (en) | 2015-12-08 | 2016-03-10 | Special Protectors Co., Ltd. | Elastic auxiliary device for joint protection |
| CN110709776B (en) * | 2017-06-01 | 2022-11-18 | Asml荷兰有限公司 | Particle removal apparatus and related systems |
| US12370648B2 (en) | 2020-01-30 | 2025-07-29 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Surface clean system and method |
| TWI859404B (en) * | 2020-01-30 | 2024-10-21 | 台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司 | Portable cleaning device |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2232680A (en) * | 1939-08-16 | 1941-02-25 | John B Smiley | Standard typewriter type cleaner |
| GB922239A (en) * | 1959-03-27 | 1963-03-27 | Michel Georges Joseph Mar Ot | Improvements in cleaning appliances for gramophone records |
| US4642738A (en) * | 1985-02-21 | 1987-02-10 | Moshe Meller | Illuminated dental drill |
| US4845796A (en) * | 1987-07-24 | 1989-07-11 | Randy Mosley | Rotating flexible stem tooth brush |
-
1996
- 1996-10-11 TW TW085112455A patent/TW313535B/en active
- 1996-11-29 US US08/757,679 patent/US5740580A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1996-12-25 JP JP34594496A patent/JP2949692B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2232680A (en) * | 1939-08-16 | 1941-02-25 | John B Smiley | Standard typewriter type cleaner |
| GB922239A (en) * | 1959-03-27 | 1963-03-27 | Michel Georges Joseph Mar Ot | Improvements in cleaning appliances for gramophone records |
| US4642738A (en) * | 1985-02-21 | 1987-02-10 | Moshe Meller | Illuminated dental drill |
| US4845796A (en) * | 1987-07-24 | 1989-07-11 | Randy Mosley | Rotating flexible stem tooth brush |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20140177258A1 (en) * | 2011-07-26 | 2014-06-26 | Golight, Inc. | Multi-face rotatable housing and mounting platform |
| US9539952B2 (en) | 2011-09-08 | 2017-01-10 | Golight, Inc. | Rotatable optical device housing and mounting platform |
| WO2017030841A1 (en) * | 2015-08-14 | 2017-02-23 | M Cubed Technologies, Inc. | Method for removing contamination from a chuck surface |
| US10702968B2 (en) | 2015-08-14 | 2020-07-07 | M Cubed Technologies, Inc. | Machine for finishing a work piece, and having a highly controllable treatment tool |
| US10792778B2 (en) | 2015-08-14 | 2020-10-06 | M Cubed Technologies, Inc. | Method for removing contamination from a chuck surface |
| WO2021063722A1 (en) * | 2019-10-01 | 2021-04-08 | Asml Netherlands B.V. | A cleaning device, a lithography apparatus, a method of removing water or other contaminant and a device manufacturing method |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JP2949692B2 (en) | 1999-09-20 |
| JPH10125596A (en) | 1998-05-15 |
| TW313535B (en) | 1997-08-21 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS | Assignment |
Owner name: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP., TAIWAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LEU, CHUNG-CHIEN;LEE, HSI-HUANG;TAN, EN-TIEN;REEL/FRAME:008367/0012 Effective date: 19961101 |
|
| FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
| FEPP | Fee payment procedure |
Free format text: PAYER NUMBER DE-ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: RMPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Free format text: PAYOR NUMBER ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: ASPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY |
|
| FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 8 |
|
| REMI | Maintenance fee reminder mailed | ||
| LAPS | Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees | ||
| STCH | Information on status: patent discontinuation |
Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362 |
|
| FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee |
Effective date: 20100421 |